This Just In: The Shamrock Shake Is Back!

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After this winter's particularly harsh weather, you're probably not interested in hearing about anything else frosty heading your way. But before you run for your shovels, know this one comes with a straw. Yes, McDonald's has brought back the brightly colored green Shamrock Shake! Which also means March, and warmer weather, is drawing nearer.

All you lucky leprechauns be on alert: The thick, velvety, bright green shake is making its 2014 debut with sightings already reported on Shamrock Shake Revolution — a Facebook page that reveals the latest locations for the mythological menu item. Much like the cultish McRib, devoted fans can never really be sure which McDonald's locations will sell the drink.

The shake — low-fat vanilla ice cream and mint flavoring — leaves more of a legacy than just a green tongue. It was first introduced in 1970 as the "St. Patrick's Day Green Milkshake." That doesn't quite roll off the tongue, does it? The name didn't last. Some of us might remember seeing commercials in the late '70s when the shake was touted by O'Grimacey, a big, green, amorphous Golden Arches mascot who sported an Irish accent and visited his nephew in McDonaldland every year for St. Paddy's Day.

In the mid-70s, promotions for the shake had more of an altruistic bent. In 1974, Philadelphia Eagle tight end Fred Hill spent a lot of time in hospitals while his 3-year-old daughter Kim, who had Leukemia, received treatments. He and his wife witnessed many parents camping out in the hospitals for their children because they couldn't afford hotel rooms while also trying to foot the bills for expensive treatments. Hill and his Eagles teammates decided to help those parents by starting a fund. The team's General Manager, Jim Murray, called up a friend at the agency that handled McDonald's marketing and advertising. As it turned out, their next promotion was for the Shamrock Shake. With McDonald's founder Ray Kroc on board, a week-long promotion had all the proceeds of the shake going to the newly established fund. Sales of the shakes provided enough green to purchase a four-story house near the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and in 1974, that building became the first Ronald McDonald House. Forty years later, there are more than 300 Ronald McDonald houses across the nation. And it all started with that quirky green milkshake we all know and love.

According to Foodbeast, this year Shamrock Shake lovers looking for their pot of gold will only find it at participating locations. Along with the limited-time menu offering, McDonald's has also brought back McDonald's Strawberry and Creme filled pies, because you need to celebrate spring's arrival with a shake and a pie, right? The Shamrock Shake will stay on menus until a week after St. Patrick's Day. — Kiri Tannenbaum